This is another of Bruce-Joy's naturalistic but dignified likenesses, with all the "subtle qualities" for which this sculptor has been "particularly praised" (Thomas 1689). James Whiteside (1804-1876) was his fellow-countryman, an important Irish lawyer and political figure who rose to become Lord Chief Justice of Ireland. Nathan Wells points out that while Whiteside was "a most influential political figure," he was even more famous for his legal advocacy, and "remains one of the most brilliant men names in the annals of the Irish bar." Wells also says that Whiteside had a "powerful personality, at once winning and commanding," and this is exactly how he comes across in this sculpture.